Low snow year photo

[10-K]

This is me, hiking in the Sierra in a "low snow year".

Low snow does not equal *no* snow!

[10-K]

The guy I hiked the Sierra with just put up his photos - I saw this one and thought of all the "low snow" talks we've had here on WB.

Never, ever have I imagined that much snow! I would hate to see a high snow year.

[Malto]

Keep in mind when you went through. In contrast here is a high snow year photo taken about June 17 from Forester. Had you gone through on normal timing you would have had very little snow at all. Had I went through during your timing there would have been 100% snow coverage. As it was the only place between Whitney and TM that didn't have snow was half a mile around Woods Creek, a couple intermittent miles around bear creek. Half a mile north of VVR, the south face climb out of Tully hole, intermittent mile around Reds and a few miles through TM. And that was mid to late June. So in comparison, 2013 was a very low year, you just chose to go through earlier than normal.

[quasarr]

WOW, what a difference! I just looked through my pics and I have one of the exact spot Malto just posted (around June 10, 2013) hope this works, it's my fist time posting a pic with Tapatalk

[Mags]

As I say about the inquiries that always come about April or May starts on the Colorado Trail: "A low snow year does not mean a no snow year "

[Coffee]

As much as I wish for relief for the CA drought, I'm hoping we have a "normal" year rather than a "heavy" year for selfish reasons.

[Ktaadn]

High or low snow, these are beautiful pictures. There are some pretty spots here on the East coast, but nothing like the high mountains out west.

[10-K]

High or low snow, these are beautiful pictures. There are some pretty spots here on the East coast, but nothing like the high mountains out west.

It was crazy beautiful. I would hike the PCT again in a heartbeat.

[postholer.com]

Start date, start date, start date.

Create your own snow conditons by choosing your own start date.

Folks get so antsy. Push your start date back a few weeks in normal/above normal years. The only time this doesn't work is in exceptionally high snow years, which are rare. Your sierra entry date is a choice, not an obligation set by the herd that you must adhere to.

It's just silly to hike in conditions you have no desire to hike in.

Here are other contrast photos I posted to WB a few months ago, same spot on Forester Pass:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?104289-Contrast-Forester-Pass

-postholer

[10-K]

You know.. I never really gave the snow conditions in the Sierra a lot of thought.

1. It was a low snow year.
2. I started a few days before kickoff which is a traditional start date for a lot of folks from what I understand.

I just hiked, and when I got to the Sierra is when I got there. There wasn't a lot of planning involved.

[postholer.com]

You know.. I never really gave the snow conditions in the Sierra a lot of thought.

1. It was a low snow year.
2. I started a few days before kickoff which is a traditional start date for a lot of folks from what I understand.

I just hiked, and when I got to the Sierra is when I got there. There wasn't a lot of planning involved.

That explains why you saw so much snow in a low snow year!

[Coffee]

Folks get so antsy. Push your start date back a few weeks in normal/above normal years. The only time this doesn't work is in exceptionally high snow years, which are rare. Your sierra entry date is a choice, not an obligation set by the herd that you must adhere to.

I think that for many people it is necessary to pick a start date before the snow conditions for the year are known. It would be great to wait until March to decide when to start but that's really not practical for many people myself included.

[frisbeefreek]

Forester.jpgHere is a picture from Forrester into Bubb's creek from June 13, 2009. This was considered a normal year (approximately 95% of normal plus a June 2nd storm. I probably had about 80 miles of snow between Forrester and Echo Lake.

I have some friends planning on hiking next year -- I told them to start mid-May (they will hike fast) and enter the Sierra's after June 15th (and that is before I even know the snow levels). IMO, less snow equals more relaxed hiking. Of course, if El Nino makes it a 300% year, just suck it up.

[Miner]

I also hiked in 2009, but I didn't enter the Sierra until June 24th. I only had snow near the top of the passes with Muir holding the most snow (as usual). It's amazing at how much snow can melt in a week or two.

[postholer.com]

I also hiked in 2009, but I didn't enter the Sierra until June 24th. I only had snow near the top of the passes with Muir holding the most snow (as usual). It's amazing at how much snow can melt in a week or two.

Yeah, it amazes me. Folks take the time out of their lives to embark on such a huge journey, yet their schedules are so rigid they can't adjust their start date by 10-14 days.

It's such a HUGE difference walking on clear trail vs snow, mind, body, pack weight, everything.

-postholer

[Coffee]

I've been reading trail journals and blogs from this year. This blog is quite well written and describes some significant snow in late May/early June which is probably when I'll be entering the Sierras next year based on my current plan:

http://carrotquinn.com/pct-2014/

and of course 2014 was a historically low snow year!

[royalusa]

..... snow in late May/early June which is probably when I'll be entering the Sierras next year based on my current plan:

We went thru the Sierra in both 2012 and 2014, both "low snow" years, but 10 days later in 2014. In general there was considerably less snow in 2014 due to our later date. I believe Muir Pass will always be the snowiest. Being "newbies" to hiking the Sierra in May and early June, we weren't quite sure how many miles of snow there would be and were a bit surprised both years.

2012 May 29 - We had 6-miles of solid snow up and over Muir Pass, starting one mile south of Helen Lake. It took us 5 hours. More info and pics here: http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=417269

2014 June 9 - We had 5-miles of solid snow up an over Muir Pass, starting at Helen Lake.

It's real important to time Muir Pass so you hit it ASAP in the morning so as to avoid many miles of postholing on the north side.